Surface-enhanced Raman scattering element

• US 9,857,306 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Shibayama, Katsumi, Maruyama, Yoshihiro, Ito, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): DECENZO, SHAWN H
• Application Number:
  US14/420,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20150233833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/651 Cuvettes therefore
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons

Abstract

A SERS element comprises a substrate; a fine structure part formed on a front face of the substrate and having a plurality of pillars; and a conductor layer formed on the fine structure part and constituting an optical function part for generating surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The pillars have respective side faces provided with grooves. A plurality of gaps are formed in the conductor layer by entering the grooves.

Claims

1. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element comprising:

a substrate having a principal surface;

a fine structure part formed on the principal surface and having a plurality of projections; and

a conductor layer formed on the fine structure part and constituting an optical function part for generating surface-enhanced Raman scattering;

wherein the projections have respective outer surfaces provided with recessed regions;

wherein a plurality of gaps are formed in the conductor layer by entering the recessed regions; and

wherein, when attention is focused on a pair of projections adjacent to each other, a width of the gap formed by the conductor layer entering a recessed region provided in the outer surface of a projection is smaller than a distance between the conductor layer formed on the outer surface of one projection and that formed on the outer surface of the other projection,

the recessed region is formed in a region that is at least not a root part of the projection, and the root part of the projection includes a region that is not a recessed region.

2. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 1, wherein the projections are arranged periodically along the principal surface.

3. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 1, wherein one of the projections is provided with a plurality of the recessed regions.

4. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 1, wherein the recessed region is a groove extending along a center line of the projection.

5. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 1, wherein the recessed region is a groove extending so as to surround a center line of the projection.

6. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element comprising:

a substrate having a principal surface;

a fine structure part formed on the principal surface and having a plurality of depressions; and

a conductor layer formed on the fine structure part and constituting an optical function part for generating surface-enhanced Raman scattering;

wherein the depressions have respective inner surfaces provided with recessed regions;

wherein a plurality of gaps are formed in the conductor layer by entering the recessed regions; and

wherein a width of the gap formed by the conductor layer entering a recessed region provided in the inner surface of a depression is smaller than an inner width of the conductor layer formed on the inner surface of the depression, and

the depression is a hole, and the recessed region is disposed in a region of an inner surface of the hole spaced apart from a bottom face of the hole.

7. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 6, wherein the depressions are arranged periodically along the principal surface.

8. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 6, wherein one of the depressions is provided with a plurality of the recessed regions.

9. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 6, wherein the recessed region is a groove extending along a center line of the depression.

10. A surface-enhanced Raman scattering element according to claim 6, wherein the recessed region is a groove extending so as to surround a center line of the depression.